Lone developer responsible for 47,000 apps on BlackBerry World

BlackBerry had boasted in May that its app store has a thriving ecosystem of over 120,000 applications. It’s being revealed today that one single developer is responsible for over 47,000 applications in BlackBerry World. S4BB, apart from a handful of well developed applications, has pumped in repackaged RSS feeds amongst other low-quality apps into BB World.

The revelation comes thanks to a report by Berry Review which says that a few developers seem to be exploiting the free app submission feature of BlackBerry as a promotional tool. It is common knowledge that BlackBerry’s App World is lagging behind Android’s Google Play and the iOS App Store by a huge margin. The discovery that most of the apps in the already small store is by one developer and not exactly useful will not do much to help CEO Thorsten Heins’ claims of BlackBerry being a thriving ecosystem.

Flooding BlackBerry World

Thankfully, the low quality apps do not seem malicious or else BlackBerry would have a serious problem on its hands. S4BB is a Hong Kong-based company that has a handful of good applications like TapCam for Facebook and Easy Smiley Pack for BlackBerry Messenger in the BlackBerry World. However, it also has RSS-based repackaged applications for audio books, wallpapers and even city guides. These apps cost around $5 each and have flooded BlackBerry World.

BlackBerry released a statement regarding the S4BB flooding, “Developers in all app stores employ a number of different monetization tactics. BlackBerry World is an open market for developers and we let market forces dictate the success or failure of these tactics. Discoverability in overcrowded stores continues to be an issue affecting all developers. This is why we have worked hand in hand with developers on the Built for BlackBerry program to help showcase apps and games that exemplify the power of BlackBerry 10,” it read. Vague, but at least BlackBerry is aware of the problem. While the company will try to make sure the limelight is upon the operating system’s best applications, it is showing its back to the issue of app surplus in BlackBerry World, saying that flooding it with low-quality apps is a legitimate tactic.

Even while BlackBerry users are wishing that high-quality apps like Instagram come to the platform, the company has quite a task on its hand to make sure BlackBerry World is clear of app flooding tactics. This will be BlackBerry’s true test to make sure it can keep up with its evolving app store.